150 MARVELS OF THE ANIMAL WORLD 



products are used in the perfumery trade. The 

 civet, for instance, yields a white fatty substance, 

 contained in two little receptacles or pouches 

 situated under the root of the animal's tail, which 

 was formerly used to a considerable extent in the 

 manufacture of scents, the material being mixed, 

 however, with other ingredients so as to subdue 

 its strong and somewhat objectionable odour. 



In order to simplify the operation of extracting 

 the secretion, the animals were kept in small cages 

 which were too narrow to allow of their turning 

 round. About twice a week the ' civet,' as the 

 scent is called commercially, was removed with the 

 aid of a small iron spoon or spatula, the quantity 

 procured at a time varying according to the condition 

 and sex of the animals, although, as a rule, the males 

 yielded about a drachm of the substance and the 

 females somewhat less. 



Musk is another material used as a perfume which 

 is obtained from a small bladder-like bag situated 

 upon the abdomen of the musk-deer ; and Tennent 

 states that the Tamils confine the glossy genet in 

 cages for the sake of its scented secretion, collecting 

 the same from the wooden bars upon which the 

 animal rubs itself. 



For the production of that beautiful material 

 known as tortoise-shell, our thanks are due to the 

 hawksbill turtle which is found in the tropical and 

 sub-tropical seas and grows to a length of about 

 three feet. The shell of this creature was employed 

 by the ancient Romans for adorning furniture, 

 and in the days of Augustus it was the custom for 



